Work Microwave and University of Munich carry out DVB-S2X ACM test

Proper planning and management of well-designed ground equipment make it possible to mitigate the effects of adverse weather for satellite networks operating on the Ku-band, a recent trial carried out by Work Microwave reveals.

The German satellite coms manufacturer joined forces with the Technical University of Munich’s Institute of Astronautics on field-testing of DVB-S2X and Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) technologies.

The aim of the test was to demonstrate that DVB-S2X modems using ACM technology could increase data throughput and improve the availability of service regardless of weather conditions.

While high capacity technology operating in the Ka-band offers major benefits over conventional satellite networks operating on the Ka-band and lower frequencies, they have been more prone to impacts of the weather.

For the field test, Work Microwave AX-60 DVB-S2X and SK-IP DVB-S2 modem were used to provide a direct comparison of how the latest generation of technology fared against the legacy system, the company said.

The tests - conducted under both normal weather conditions and rain, revealed that for the given link budget, ModCods of up to 256APSK could be used.

Testing also revealed that DVB-S2X performed better than legacy technology in clear-sky and rainy conditions.

TUM lecturer Dr. Jürgen Letschnik found the overall data rate, even with rain fade, was higher with DVB-S2X than DVB-S2 equipment due to DVB-S2X support for higher modulation schemes of up to 256APSK.